Rhythm and Rhythm
Many Sub-Saharan languages do not have a word for rhythm, or even music. Rhythms represent the very fabric of life and embody the people’s interdependence in human relationships.
Among the characteristics of the Sub-Saharan African is the simultaneous use of contrasting rhythmic patterns within the same scheme of accents or meter. This lies at the core of African rhythmic tradition.
The sounding of three beats against two is experienced in everyday life and helps develop “a two-dimensional attitude to rhythm”. Throughout Western and Central Africa child’s play includes games that develop a feeling for multiple rhythms.[